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Swathes of Britain skidded to a halt today as the big freeze returned – grounding flights, closing rail links and leaving traffic at a standstill.

And tonight the nation was braced for another 10in of snow and yet more sub-zero temperatures – with no let-up in the bitterly cold weather for at least a month, forecasters have warned.

The Arctic conditions are set to last through the Christmas and New Year bank holidays and beyond and as temperatures plummeted to -10c (14f) the Met Office said this December was ‘almost certain’ to become the coldest since records began in 1910.

The latest snowfall carpeted large swathes of Britain today – with up to 5in falling in places – paralysing roads and rail, and forcing airports and schools to close.

Forecasters warned the worst was still to come over the next 24 hours as the heaviest December snowfall for 30 years tightened its grip on the nation once more.

The South is expected to be worst hit with up to 10in falling during the course of tomorrow. By the start of next week temperatures are set to fall to as low as -15c (5f).

Met Office forecaster Barry Gromett said the average mean temperature for the first two weeks of this month was -0.7c.

The coldest ever average for this time of year – recorded in December 1981 – was 0.2c.

He said: ‘A significant amount of snow will fall over the next 24 hours, particularly across southern England.

‘Further snow showers are likely to hit Wales and the west before moving eastwards on Sunday.

‘It is going to remain very cold right through to the middle of next week with widespread overnight frosts and ice.

‘Temperatures are likely to drop into the minus teens in places, with towns and cities as cold as -8c (18f).

‘It’s going to stay like this throughout Christmas and New Year, but by the middle of next month things will slowly return to normal and we could perhaps see the beginning of the end.

‘Nevertheless, this December is almost certainly going to become the coldest since records began in 1910.

‘It’s already a lot colder than the previous record which was set in 1981.’

The arrival of yet more snow and ice increased fears that the four million Christmas parcels yet to be delivered would almost certainly grow in number over the coming days.

Simon Veale, director of parcel and carrier management firm Global Freight Solutions, said dealing with the backlog – up to three days in places – was like ‘bailing water out of a sinking ship’.

‘This year, in Scotland and the North East, it is likely Father Christmas won’t be coming,’ he added.

‘There are likely to be more than four million new parcels in the system every day this week on top of several million more which still had to be cleared from the recent extreme weather.

‘If there are additional falls of snow, as the weather forecasts are suggesting, the unhappy situation will be compounded further still.’

The Royal Mail said it was planning to deliver 7,000 rounds on Sunday to around one million addresses.

‘This is already the worst December weather the UK has seen for almost 30 years,’ said managing director Mark Higson.

‘Like other essential services, we have faced major difficulties with items moving in and out of areas most impacted by snow and ice, particularly Scotland and north-east England.

‘We will continue to do everything in our power to deliver as quickly as possible.’

But the AA warned of ‘possibly the worst driving conditions imaginable’ – raising fears that millions of packages and mail would fail to be delivered in time for Christmas.

The AA’s Gavin Hill-Smith said: ‘There are horrendous driving conditions in some parts with driving, drifting snow and bad ice making for possibly the worst driving conditions imaginable, even for experienced drivers.

‘The weather will undoubtedly cause disruption for people heading off for an early Christmas break, if they live in one of the affected areas.’

The breakdown service said it expected to deal with 18,500 call-outs yesterday.

Mr Hill-Smith urged people to adapt their travel plans but added: ‘The trouble is that the closer we get to Christmas, the greater the pressure on people to travel – Christmas shopping, visiting family and friends.’

Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said the prolonged freeze could also lead to up to 1,000 businesses going bankrupt.

Many shoppers would be forced to stay at home because of treacherous roads, he added.

There are also concerns that heating oil – used by around two million homes, schools and hospitals – are nearing ‘crisis levels’. The Government is said to be considering rationing.

In a further development, the NHS issued an urgent appeal for blood donors as stocks ran low.

Supplies of O negative blood have fallen below ‘preferred levels’, with just 1,928 units left in store (each unit is just under a pint).

Although only 7 per cent of the population are O negative it is a key type that can be given to anybody.

It is the only safe option when a patient’s blood group is unknown or not immediately available and is therefore vital in emergencies and for procedures on unborn babies.

A total of 69 donor sessions were cancelled in one week during the worst of the recent weather in England and North Wales, figures show.

The Local Government Association said councils had plans in place to share grit if the big freeze continued into next month and supplies dwindled.